Growth in the UK's manufacturing sector slowed considerably in November, after rising to a 16-month high in October, according to a closely watched survey.
The Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell from 55.2 in October to 52.7 in November. Any figure above 50 indicates growth.
Despite the sharp fall, Markit stressed that November's figures were still above average for 2015 so far.
"Although the pace of growth so far is only very modest, it positions manufacturing as less of a drag on the broader economy," Markit economist Rob Dobson said in a statement.
He added: "While the improvement in recent months is a welcome trend, scratching beneath the surface of the manufacturing numbers stills exposes a number of weaknesses. Growth remains heavily focussed on the domestic consumer, while the strong gains at large-scale producers have yet to filter through to SMEs. A broadening of the expansion is necessary if the nascent recovery is to be sustained."
